Entries Tagged 'Equality' ↓

That’s the hilarity of the uproar about the rainbow buffalo. While as adults we understand the pride symbolism, I don’t think a 3 year old gets it, they just see a pretty buffalo. And if they ask, it would be a great opportunity for a parent to explain the symbolism. Not just about pride, but the native signifigance of the buffalo.

I think this parent said it best with a FB comment;

Mike Henriksen

June 22 at 8:10 PM

So, the lady who directs the Outdoor Campus in Sioux Falls crafted a buffalo with rainbow colors for Pride week. A Mom complained, saying it was promoting homosexuality to her 3 year old child. The Mom called the Governor’s office. The buffalo was taken down. I don’t want to tell anyone how to spend their outrage. But I would think having a 3 year old in one of 6 states that does not fund pre-school education would spark a call to the Governor’s office. I would think that having a 3 year old in a state that has one of the highest rates of child and teen deaths in the country might inspire a call to the Governor’s office. I think having a 3 year old in a state that spends less money educating each student than almost every other state in the country might want to make you pick up the phone to the Governor’s office. I think having a 3 year old in a state with one of the highest teen suicide rates in the country might make your fingers do the walking to the Governor’s office. But she decided to call about a pretty buffalo. Something that was meant to promote inclusion. It seems strange to me how some people choose to fight harder for or against symbols than they fight for or against actual human beings.

Today, Monday, October 17, 2016, the Human Rights Campaign released its Municipal Equality Index, and Sioux Falls has improved its score by 12 points over last year’s score.

The Municipal Equality Index examines how inclusive municipal laws, policies, and services are of the LGBTQ people who live and work there. Cities are rated based on nondiscrimination laws, the municipality as an employer, municipal services, law enforcement, and the city leadership’s public position on equality.

Last year, Sioux Falls scored a 28 out of a possible 100 points. This year, Sioux Falls’ score is 40. Sioux Falls improved its score over last year, in part, because of its leadership’s public position on LGBTQ equality and its pro-equality legislative or policy efforts. The Municipal Equality Index also found that the City is a welcoming place to work.

“Sioux Falls still has some work to do, but I’m thrilled that our city is becoming more inclusive to all people, including the LGBTQ community,” says Colleen Moran, Assistant City Attorney. “We are working hard to engage the community and provide residents with opportunities to promote and embrace a more inclusive Sioux Falls.”

Sioux Falls is one of nine cities in South Dakota scored by the Human Rights Campaign. Of those nine cities, Brookings received the highest score at 50. More information, including Sioux Falls’ full scorecard, is available at www.hrc.org/mei.

So who is throwing the party? Maybe we could have it at the Avera cafeteria when SF finest are at the feeding trough there? I’m sure with all of their new diversity training they would be welcome to the idea. We could also play the party game ‘He said, she said.’

The following Argus Leader article from today’s paper highlights the problem all the citizen efforts will face. What’s to stop City Hall employees from discussing openly who/what the people should vote for? With our lack of ethics law, what’s to stop decisions being made affecting who can vote.

Is the city wrong in this attempt to sway a citizen effort’s defeat? What do the city ‘leaders’ have to gain? Why do the efforts of city bureaucrats mean more, than the citizen efforts? We will see the same thing happening on the other three issues. The pool issue is but a small part of the larger picture of what is happening in Sioux Falls and South Dakota.

We will be seeing city hall led efforts to take charge of the non-ballot discussion to sway the pool vote. Our salesman mayor only knows how to sell something. The only way a salesman gets gratification by closing another sale, damn the costs that’s someone else’s job to worry about.

Maybe it is time for a city ordinance banning the use of taxdollars being spent on ‘educating’ the public on citizen initiated ballot issues.

Should elected officials be able to speak freely to the public about their opinions on certain ballot issues? Most definitely, in fact the First Amendment protects that right. But should an elected official or a city director/employee be able to use taxpayer resources to educate the public about a ballot issue they want defeated or even approved? State Law says it cannot, but the city seems to be using a ‘loophole’ claiming they are ‘educating’ the public. Baloney.

When you present the public (leak it to all the major news media) 75% more drawings of an indoor pool, then an outdoor pool, and clearly make the indoor pool look more favorable, while spending $46,000 on these drawings, you are clearly trying to sway the public to vote against an outdoor pool.

I have no issue with Walmart, SON, Community Swim, Veterans for the VA or even the snowgaters organizing and paying for an education campaign. As private enities, they have that right. But they should not be expending tax dollars to sway a vote.

Since the city seems to want to ignore state law, or use loop holes to continue to ignore it, what can we do as citizens to stop the taxpayer funded ‘education’ program?

Ironically is probably another ballot issue to close the state law loophole. Who is willing to come forward? Soon?

The Rapid City Council rejected on Monday a watered-down version of a resolution opposing workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

The council voted 8-2 against the resolution by Alderwoman Karen Gunderson Olson, which would have stated the city’s support for adding sexual orientation and gender identity — or transgender — to protected classes under federal law.

I can’t image if this resolution was presented by a Sioux Falls city councilor. Quen Be De would go into such a fit she would faint. While councilor Jamison would put on a one actor version of RENT.

It was a statement without effect in policy, but it was too much for the overwhelming majority of council members to accept.

I suggest you spend a night on the dancefloor of the Saloon in Minneapolis – you’ll leart to ‘accept’ a lot of things.

Dale Bartscher, pastoral ministries director for the South Dakota Family Policy Council, said the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution already protects people with different sexual orientations from discrimination. Adding additional protections to gays, lesbians, and bisexual and transgender people isn’t needed and could be harmful, he said.

“I believe it’s a slippery slope once you allow one group special privileges based on behavior. It’s a Pandora’s box,” Bartscher said.

Special privileges?! You mean like equality, something all the rest of us share? Sorry, Dale, but any representative from the SD Family Policy Council isn’t qualified to give advice on gay and lesbian rights. Now go back to protesting abortion.

Martinson said sexual orientation and gender identity aren’t simple behavior, but rather are inherent characteristics that people are born with.

Just like Republicans missing the chromosome that helps the rest of us recognize common sense?

USD's women's basketball landed in Starkville, Mississippi this afternoon ahead of Friday's NCAA tournament game against Clemson, Keloland's Sean Bower is traveling with the team and joins us with more.It's been a whirlwind of a week for the Coyotes as they make their second ever appearance in the NCAA women's basketball tournament. On Monday, USD earned […]

O'Gorman junior Emma Ronsiek is a nominee for the Sanford Pentagon/KELOLAND Media Group Player of the Year award for a second straight season. Ronsiek surpassed one-thousand career points at the state "AA" tournament, and is already one of the Knights' all-time great players.Emma Ronsiek burst onto the local basketball scene as a freshman, and developed […]